Wrestling: Wissahickon and Methacton top lower weights renew rivalry

WORCESTER — Wissahickon High’s Aaron Rodriguez met Methacton’s Joe Staley three times within a 51-day span last season, and each time Rodriguez came up short, including in the Section III final.

Saturday afternoon, in what was the highlight in the host Warriors’ regular-season ending, 50-18 win over the Trojans, Rodriguez got a measure of revenge, scoring a takedown with 12 seconds left in the third period to defeat Staley, 6-5.

Many of the fans who attended the matchup of these two former Suburban One League rivals came anticipating the latest renewal of the pairing of two of the area’s top lower weights. And they weren’t disappointed.

Rodriguez took the early lead with a first-period takedown, but fell behind, 3-2, on a Staley takedown at the first-period buzzer. Rodriguez scored a reversal to take a lead late in the second period, but after Staley scored second- and third-period escapes did not lead again until the match-deciding move.

“I was looking forward to it,” Rodriguez said. “It’s good competition, (Staley’s) a good wrestler and it’s always good wrestling against good competition, especially this close to the postseason.”

Staley had gotten the best of Rodriguez last season, blowing open tight matches with big moves.

“I won those matches last year by catching him on his back,” Staley said. “This time, I didn’t get him on his back, and he beat me on his feet.

“I wrestled poorly on my feet.’

The match was another tough test for Staley, who has had the likes of Owen J. Roberts’ Domenick Petrucelli, Pottsgrove’s Nico Demetrio and Spring-Ford’s Adam Dombrosky on his dance card over the past two weeks. Staley won tight matches against that trio. Saturday, he wasn’t as fortunate.

“Joe is extremely focused on his job,” said Methacton head coach A.J. Maida. “He comes in every day, working hard and looking to get better.

“But I think, sometimes, you need a loss to kind of get refocused. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a wake-up call.”

“It’s something I need to work on, to keep going hard,” Staley said. “When I started to lay back just a little, (Rodriguez) took me down.”

Rodriguez, a tough wrestler on his feet, got that early takedown and appeared to be in control early, but Staley’s late takedown seemed to swing momentum.

All the while, Rodriguez said he maintained his composure.

“I just stuck with my basics,” he said. “It comes down to knowing what you’re good at and knowing what to stay out of.

“I know a lot of guys like to look at tapes (of previous matches versus an opponent), but I just like to go out and wrestle my match.”

Still, after Staley escaped to take a 5-4 lead in the third, it appeared Rodriguez was going to come up short again.

But late in the match, the Trojans senior was able to get in on Staley’s legs, got his takedown and very nearly near-fall points.

“I was reacting to what he was doing, and trying to do whatever I could do to get the takedown,” Rodriguez said, “whatever I could do to get to his legs.”

“Aaron had to win this, to get over the hump with Staley,” said Trojans head coach Anthony Stagliano. “It was a big win for him at 132 (where he’ll be for the postseason).

“This match was almost worth it just for that matchup.”

Now, with the postseason upon them both, Staley and Rodriguez said they would use their match as a learning experience.

“I don’t think I’ve lost since Delaware,” the junior said, referring to late December’s Tiger Classic where Staley lost to Kyle Gordon of Matoaca High (Va.), 6-2. “Now I have the week to get ready (for next weekend’s PAC Tournament at Boyertown).

“I need to make sure I’m not up or down by a point in the third period. I want to be in a position where I know I can win.”

“Any match you win against a good kid is a confidence boost,” Rodriguez said. “It feels good winning this one.”